The instant invention relates generally to transducer mounting instrumentalities and, in particular, to a seismic transducer mounting device and method.
Traditionally, seismic transducers are mounted by installing a single piece machined metal stud to a general purpose machine and attaching the transducer to the stud. The two most accepted stud installation schemes include a drill and tap mounting scheme and an adhesive mounting scheme.
The drill and tap mounting scheme for mounting a seismic transducer includes the step of milling a spot face (a flat spot) onto a target, for example, an area on a machine casing or a bearing housing. Then, a hole is drilled into the milled area of the target to a predetermined depth. This typically requires tethering a drill motor into place via, for example, using a chain strap in order to ensure that the drill has perpendicularity to the target while providing support for drilling a substantially large hole. Threads are then formed within the hole by taping the hole while making sure perpendicularity to the target is maintained. Then, a single piece machined metal stud having two threaded ends is provided wherein one of the threaded ends is threaded into the drilled and tapped hole and the other treaded end is mated with the seismic transducer thereby completing the drill and tap mounting scheme.
The drill and tap mounting scheme is dependable, but requires a great deal of documentation and machining time. The documentation can take up to approximately six hours per transducer point, while machining time per point can take approximately two and one half hours. Thus, the drill and tap mounting scheme is, inter alia, a laborious and costly method for installing seismic transducers.
The adhesive mounting scheme for mounting a seismic transducer includes the step of removing all dirt, oil, and paint from a target, for example, an area on a machine casing or a bearing housing by cleaning and grinding the area. Next, a single piece machined metal stud is provided which includes a threaded top end integrally formed with an outwardly projecting planar bottom end that includes a flat bottom surface. A two-part adhesive is then mixed and applied to the bottom surface of the planar bottom end. The stud is then placed onto the machine at the target area and the adhesive is allowed to cure under partial pressure supplied by a removable clamping mechanism. Once the adhesive is dried, the clamping mechanism can be removed.
Thus, in comparison, the adhesive mounting scheme can reduce the documentation and installation time by as much as 75%. However, adhesive attachments have been found to have short term failure rates as high as 25%. These adhesive failures are caused by the typical industrial environment and by the substrates (materials) being bonded. For example, an environment of high heat and humidity can reduce the strength of an adhesive by 75% over a six-month time span. Furthermore, the casted metals that typical machine casings are made from offer poor bonding capabilities for all types of adhesives. It has been found that when these adhesive failures occur the adhesive always comes off still attached to the stud and the casted machine surface is substantially void of any adhesive remnants. This indicates that the bond failed at the casted machine""s surface, otherwise the adhesive would stay completely attached to the machine if failure occurred at the stud, or the adhesive would be split between the two substrates indicating adhesive failure in shear.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a device and method which provides a durable transducer mounting scheme which reduces the labor intensive task, the associated high cost and the failure rate of attaching seismic transducers to general purpose machinery.
In particular, industrial plantwide networked asset systems are available and desirable to monitor assets, including general purpose machinery, throughout a plant or facility. However, a problem exists in that these systems are very expensive to install using the traditional mounting schemes for mounting a multiplicity of seismic transducers throughout the plant or facility. Therefore, there is a need for providing a durable and inexpensive transducer mounting device and method for eliminating the high installation expenses and failure rates associated with traditional transducer mounting schemes.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
The instant invention is distinguished over the known prior art in a multiplicity of ways. One of the starkest differentiations that the instant invention enjoys over the known prior art involves the fact that the instant invention is a transducer mounting device which is a composite of a faceted monolith of moldable material overlying and supporting a self-tapping stud at one end and a fabricated insert at an opposite end. Additionally, the instant invention provides a transducer mounting device and method that is durable in construction while being inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the instant invention provides a transducer mounting device and method which solves the labor intensive and time consuming task inherent in the existing drill and tap mounting schemes for mounting transducers. Moreover, the instant invention provides a further transducer mounting device and method that solves, inter alia, the short-term failure rates inherent in the existing adhesive mounting schemes for mounting transducers.
In one preferred form, the transducer mounting device or composite stud of the instant invention includes a faceted monolith of moldable material or plastic body overlying and supporting two substantially axially aligned threaded metal components.
The first metal component is comprised of a self-tapping screw which attaches to a target and includes a multi-faceted head, an annular shoulder preferably integrally formed with the head and a shaft below the shoulder. The shaft includes exterior threads which preferably extend from below the shoulder to a distal tapered pilot point which precludes the necessity for tapping a hole in the target, for example, an area on a machine casing or bearing housing which is to receive the self-tapping screw of the device.
The second metal component is comprised of a fabricated insert that interfaces with a transducer. The fabricated insert includes a faceted extremity transitioning into an annular shaped neck. The neck includes a plurality of collocated ribs in the form of a plurality of axially spaced radially protruding orbicularly shaped structures. The ribs transition into an elongated shank member which includes threads circumscribing the shank at an extremity distal from the collocated ribs. These threads mate with, for example, a seismic transducer used for monitoring the status of machinery.
The monolith of moldable material or plastic body includes an uppermost surface, a side portion and a lowermost surface. The uppermost surface is substantially planar in shape and transitions substantially perpendicularly into the side portion. The side portion preferably includes multiple facets arranged to allow a torque applying device to effectively engage the body. Preferably, the facets are arranged in a hexagonal pattern to be engaged by a variety of commonly available tools for inserting the device into the hole.
The self-tapping screw and the fabricated insert are disposed asunder along a central long axis of the transducer mounting device and are each partially enclaved within the monolith of moldable material or plastic body. The multi-faceted head of the self-tapping screw precludes torsional shear within and from the monolith of moldable material while the annular shoulder integrally formed therewith provides a flat bearing surface which precludes axial shear within and from the monolith of moldable material. Likewise, the faceted extremity of the fabricated insert precludes torsional shear within and from the monolith of moldable material while the collocated ribs provide bearing surfaces which precludes axial shear within and from the monolith of moldable material. Additionally, a first interlocking means for interlocking the monolith of moldable material into the fabricated insert is integrally formed with the monolith of moldable material and includes a first extension extending into at least one annular recess disposed between the collocated ribs for mechanically interlocking the monolith of moldable material into the fabricated insert. Furthermore, a second interlocking means for interlocking the monolith of moldable material into the fabricated insert is integrally formed with the monolith of moldable material and includes a second extension extending into an annular recess disposed between the collocated ribs and.the faceted extremity of the insert for mechanically interlocking the monolith of moldable material into the fabricated insert.
In a further preferred form, the transducer mounting device of the instant invention includes a composite device formed from a cylindrical preform overlying and supporting a magnetic component adhesively coupled at one end to a target, for example, an area of a machine casing or a bearing housing being monitored. The preform includes an integrally formed threaded member at an end opposite the magnetic/adhesive coupling which interfaces with a seismic transducer for monitoring the status of machinery.
Accordingly, a primary object of the instant invention is to provide a new, novel and useful transducer mounting device and method.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the transducer mounting device as characterized above which includes a composite of an encapsulation overlying and supporting a self-tapping stud at one end and a fabricated insert at an opposite end.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide the transducer mounting device as characterized above that is durable and inexpensive to manufacture.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the transducer mounting device as characterized above which includes a low torque self-tapping fastener that can be quickly inserted into an untapped hole disposed on a machine to be monitored.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the transducer mounting device as characterized above which is reliable in operation, easily removable and reusable.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide a transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which eliminates the expensive installation cost particularly associated with the existing drill and tap devices and methods of mounting transducers to machines thereby providing a tremendous benefit when installing industrial plantwide networked asset systems which include mounting a multiplicity of seismic transducers to monitor general purpose machinery throughout the plant or facility.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide a transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which solves the labor intensive and time consuming task inherent in the existing drill and tap devices and methods of mounting transducers to machines.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which precludes the need for milling a spot face (a flat spot) onto a target and which precludes the need to use a drill motor which is typically required to be strapped to the machine.
A further primary object of the instant invention is to provide a further preferred form of a new, novel and useful transducer mounting device and method.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the further preferred form of the transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which provides a strong and durable magnetic/adhesive bond.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the further preferred form of the transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which provides a magnetic/adhesive bond which is much stronger than either bond alone.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the further preferred form of the transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which solves the short-term failure rates inherent in the existing adhesive attachment devices and methods of mounting transducers.
Another further object of the instant invention is to provide the further preferred form of the transducer mounting device and method as characterized above which eliminates the need for extensive documentation and machining time required for existing drill and tap devices and methods of mounting transducers to machines.
Viewed from a first vantage point, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a transducer mounting device, comprising in combination: a first elongated shaft having a first threaded portion disposed thereon; a second elongated shaft substantially axially aligned with the first elongated shaft and having a second threaded portion disposed thereon; a monolith of moldable material overlying and supporting the first and the second elongated shaft wherein the first elongated shaft extends away from a first end of the monolith of moldable material and the second elongated shaft extends away from a second end of the monolith of moldable material opposite the first end.
Viewed from a second vantage point, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a transducer mounting device, comprising in combination: a self-tapping screw; an insert having a threaded extremity, the insert substantially axially aligned with the self-tapping screw; a plastic body overlying and supporting the self-tapping screw and the insert along a central long axis of the device wherein the self-tapping screw extends away from a first end of the plastic body and the insert extends away from a second end of the plastic body opposite the first end.
Viewed from a third vantage point, it is an object of the instant invention to provide transducer mounting device, comprising in combination: a preform including an internal cavity an elongated member surmounting the preform for receiving a transducer; a magnetic component received within the internal cavity; an adhesive interposed between the magnetic component and a target for magnetically and adhesively bonding the preform to the target for monitoring the target with the transducer.
These and other objects and advantages will be made manifest when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.